Lost and Never Found

Throughout history, many significant artifacts have shaped our perception of events and figures. However, plenty of them have gone missing or were never found in the first place. With that in mind, here are some recent and long-lost historical discoveries to consider.

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1. The Bayeux Tapestry’s Final Panels

The Bayeux Tapestry is an iconic artifact from the Middle Ages that depicts the events of William the Conqueror’s invasion of England. At a resounding 230 feet, this tapestry was originally uncovered in 1729, but the last panels are apparently missing, leaving the story forever unfinished.

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2. Blackbeard’s Treasure

You’d be surprised how much treasure is just waiting below the waves for someone to discover – or better yet, is sitting buried on some dry shore bank. In fact, many treasures have been found in this way, but one that still evades historians is Blackbeard’s hoard, which supposedly lies somewhere along North Carolina.

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3. JFK’s Brain

This is a super weird one, but it turns out that during President John F. Kennedy’s autopsy, his brain got misplaced. Or perhaps someone took it. Either way, the brain hasn’t been seen since, leaving the public to wonder what they were trying to hide.

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4. King John’s Crown Jewels

King John is quite the heated figure in English history and is even known as Bad King John. He’s well known for losing the Crown Jewels when crossing a river in 1216. This crown is still missing, as is the king’s account of the story.

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5. The Giza Sarcophagus

When historians uncovered the tombs inside the Great Pyramids of Giza, there was one sarcophagus that was smaller than the others. This sarcophagus was often overlooked, and when a British soldier returned to claim it and ship it to London, the ship sank and it hasn’t been seen since.

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6. The Amber Room

In 1701, King Frederick I of Prussia decided to have an entire room created out of amber, and it made for quite the stunning gift when it was handed to Peter the Great. However, during the Third Reich, the Amber Room disappeared, with many believing it was either destroyed or looted.

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7. Honjo Masamune Sword

One of the most legendary katanas was crafted in the 13th century by Goro Nyudo Masamune, who was quite a famous swordsmith. The sword was passed down through generations of shoguns and was even wielded by samurai Honjo Shigenaga. However, after World War II, the sword disappeared and it’s quite the mystery where it went.

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8. The Peking Man

Originally identified in 1927, the Peking Man is a nickname given to a Homo erectus specimen. It was originally discovered near China and was quite well-preserved. Unfortunately, it was lost after Chinese scholars failed to export it out of the country during a Japanese invasion.

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9. William Shakespeare’s Lost Play

Fans of theater may lament to know that at least one of Shakespeare’s works did not survive him. The play Cardenio is often mentioned in bureaucratic records, but no one is able to find it.

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10. The Hiroshima Map

It adds up that America would probably want to forget the horrific events that occurred at Nagasaki and Hiroshima during the war. However, it turns out one of the maps that was used to plan the first offensive strike never appeared in the National Archives where it was supposed to.

Now that we have discussed what artifacts have yet to be discovered, here are 10 that were found only a year or two ago!

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1. Pompeii Prison Bakery

The ruins of Pompeii are quite the archaeological site, capturing the state of a city just before destruction. Recently, researchers discovered the presence of a prison bakery where workers were forced to grind grains. This offered up new insights on just how poorly prisoners were treated, ranging from being blindfolded to having to conduct labor for hours.

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2. Dinosaur Footprint

Also in Europe, there has been a recent discovery of a new dinosaur trackway near Oxfordshire. What makes this so unique is that not only was the print made 166 million years ago, but it’s likely the biggest dinosaur trackway ever found in the United Kingdom.

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3. K’awiil Sculpture

You may not be familiar with K’awiil, who is a Maya god of fertility, strength, lightning, and power. This statue was unearthed in 2023 and was the first of its kind to be found outside of the ancient Maya capital in modern-day Guatemala.

Dennis G. Jarvis on Wikimedia

4. Ancient Mummified Crocodiles

The ancient Egyptians are well known for their mummification processes, but that usually involved humans – and sometimes cats. However, in 2019, some archaeologists found 10 mummified crocodiles that were quite well-preserved.

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5. Neolithic Porridge

Moving to Germany, there has been a recent discovery of a burned porridge, which may seem odd at first. However, the cooking remains provide great insights on what breakfast looked like thousands of years ago and give scholars a look into Stone Age diets.

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6. World’s Oldest Runestone

As scientists make more discoveries, the facts revolving around the world tend to change. What was once the oldest runestone in the world has been replaced by the 2,000-year-old runestone found in Oslo, Norway. Scientists believe it spells out a name, but that’s yet to be confirmed.

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7. Sponsian Coin

Speaking of the flexibility and fluidity of history, scientists are now grappling with the discovery of evidence of an unknown Roman emperor. Three hundred years ago, a coin was discovered with the face of an unknown emperor and was dismissed as a fake. However, in 2022, scientists verified the authenticity of the coin, leading to brand new mysteries.

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8. Roman Funerary Bed

It seems the United Kingdom is just teeming with discoveries, as another excavation revealed historical clues in 2024. A rare Roman funerary site was discovered, unearthing five coffins that match artwork that is thousands of years old.

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9. Bronze Statues

So many beautiful statues have been preserved by ancient cultures, giving onlookers insights into their lives, and more statues have now been discovered in Tuscany, Italy. In fact, 24 bronze Roman statues were discovered in 2022 near the village of San Casciano dei Bagni.

Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China on Wikimedia

10. Trojan War Mosaic

Was the Trojan War a real event – and if so, how much of it is as the legends tell? Either way, in 2022, archaeologists found a 16,000-year-old mosaic chronicling the events of the Trojan War, further putting the mythical-historical event into question.

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo on Wikimedia